Rick Smith may say that we want to carry three veteran QBs, but most Texans fans know that that hasn't been the case. Is Rick playing some smoke and mirrors to prevent Rosenfels from losing trade value, or is he serious about having all three?

This is a good draft for the Texans ... OL , DBs , RBs seem to be in abundance . They could use more picks .

As expected, free agent quarterback Quinn Gray signed a one-year contract with the Texans today.

Gray, who played his first five seasons with Jacksonville, signed a one-year deal for the $605,000 minimum and a $40,000 signing bonus.

Gray was 2-2 as a starter last season, including victories over Tampa Bay and Tennessee and losses to New Orleans and the Texans.

Gray arrived in Houston on Sunday and he is spending today at Reliant Stadium, meeting with head coach Gary Kubiak and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

Signing Gray gives the Texans three experienced quarterbacks. Matt Schaub is firmly entrenched as the starter. Sage Rosenfels has proven to be a solid backup. If a team offers a second round pick for Rosenfels, having Gray would make it easier for the Texans to make the trade.

Minnesota offered a third round pick for Rosenfels but the Texans turned it down.

Another great move by Rick Smith. That guy is a future GM of the year candidate.

I have come down strongly against trading Sage. One of the main reasons was we would have an unknown at backup QB. Granted we don't know how well Gray will play in comparison to Sage. However, before I would have been hesitant to make a trade no matter the compensation.

I am now much more ameniable to a trade although I still lean very slightly against. If I am Smith, I let it be known that the rate is a 2nd rd pick, and the first team that offers me that wins. And then I wait. For a 2nd I pull the trigger.

If the offer never comes, then we go into camp with Schaub, Sage and Quinn Gray. That's not a bad thing either. In other words this is a win-win scenerio. There really is no downside. Remember, last year when Matt went down, we had no reliable backup. Gray would give us that.

Considering that they are paying him a one yr min deal, it makes me think that this is wide-open. In other words, they trade Sage, they will give him a long term deal at years end. If not, Gray can re-up with us, or seek a long term deal elsewhere. Again, it's all win-win for player and team.

We gave Schaub the deal because we wanted him as a starter. Not pointing at you but there is some major revisionist history in the Sage for President crowd.

Sage played Solid for the most part but not spectacular last year. I still think the David Carr effect is still not out of some fans system.

Let me ask this: put in a different position would anyone here be okay trading a third away for a perspective backup quarterback?

There are teams out there whose starters played worse than Sage Rosenfels did last season.

Given the crappy market for developed QBs out there, I think there is some valuation between the Schaub deal and just a third round pick that the Texans may be able to get.

I think we are in the place that San Diego was last year with Michael Turner. If they get a offer that is good, they will trade him. If not, they may decide that they prefer the insurance he provides for the team.

on the other hand, we have sage for 2 yrs not 1.. i doubt his value gets higher than now though

The same general concept though. Insurance. If you have LT or Schaub go down, you have insurance that your season doesn't devolve into a Falcon/Dolphin-esque pile of goo. Yeah, most playoff teams don't rely on their backups, but a lot of those really awful teams have quarterbacks who go down and joke backups. Truly awful seasons aren't good for a franchise.

Rosenfels contract is attractive. Rosenfels has proven that he can move the ball, even with an offense with a wildly inconsistent running game. He's a good guy. He'd be a terrific guy to have as a starter if you draft a QB that you eventually want to groom for the starter's job.

So, with those factors, you would think you could get something for him from some of these teams whose fans are sick of ridiculously bad quarterback play.

I've never been one eager to trade Rosenfels, but having Gray on roster makes me a lot more comfortable with it.

There are teams out there whose starters played worse than Sage Rosenfels did last season.

Given the crappy market for developed QBs out there, I think there is some valuation between the Schaub deal and just a third round pick that the Texans may be able to get.

I think we are in the place that San Diego was last year with Michael Turner. If they get a offer that is good, they will trade him. If not, they may decide that they prefer the insurance he provides for the team.

I understand the analogy but the Chargers were wanting a first and a third from what I remember. They over priced the market in terms of a running back. Honestly, I did not understand how they could not trade Turner and get something for him with in reason, not the over priced stuff.

Sage has two more years left on his contract so it is not a one and done type of deal. His contract is very cap friendly which increases his value.

I am not saying do the deal just to get something it has to be the right offer which if it was a second then it would be the right deal.

__________________The Invisible Poster!Cynic at work, do not mind me; move along nothing to see here!

We are in the driver's seat. Pressure is on Minnesota imo. My eyes get all sparkly when I think we could draft a LT,RB and a CB and still have 4th and 5th rounds for productivity AND we got a starting center for a 6th!! Come on Ricky baby show me what you got planned for that old 7th round selection. Maybe Colt Brennan?

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I want to be able to recognize the difference between a "want" and a "need" and then I want to be satisfied with getting a need

I understand the analogy but the Chargers were wanting a first and a third from what I remember. They over priced the market in terms of a running back. Honestly, I did not understand how they could not trade Turner and get something for him with in reason, not the over priced stuff.

Sage has two more years left on his contract so it is not a one and done type of deal. His contract is very cap friendly which increases his value.

I am not saying do the deal just to get something it has to be the right offer which if it was a second then it would be the right deal.

Trades are weird. What a team is publicly saying they want is not necessarily what they want. We still have a lot of time before the draft, and markets have a way of making themselves.

The Turner non-trade is a good thing if LT has issues last year and not such a great thing if he doesn't. Looking back in retrospect is a funny thing, or so says the Atlanta Falcons.

We may love a trade come draft time and regret the same trade depending on how the season plays out.